George w



' (ModelJ G. W. GATES.

GARPET SWBEPER.

No. 412219. Patented Oct. 1,1`889..

lA/l/E/VTOR 8 By LA Attorney Awr/vesa S dha* UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE W. GATE-S, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOE, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENT& TO THE BISSELL OARPET SYVEEPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,219, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed March 21, 1885. Serial Ne. 159, 679: (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE XV. GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful lnprovenents in Carpet- Sweepers,.of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carpet-sweepers IO wherein a brush-carrying shaft is rotated by drive-wheels traveling on a carpetor other surface.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a carpet-sweeper With a brush-shaft sup- I 5 port which yields to downward pressure on the propellinghandle, to lower and press the brush against the surface traversed independent of vertical movement of the sweepercasing, and automatically rises and restores the brush-sh aft to and sustains it in its normal position when pressure on the handle is relieved.

The invention also has for its object to inprove the dust-pan-dunping mechanism and 2 5 the friction device, and to provide novel means for protecting the axle of the drivewheels from dust and other matter.

The objects of my invention I acconplish as hereinafter described, and set forth in the 0 ela-inis, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a carpetsweeper, showing a form of yielding brush shaft support for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line ;r m, Fig. 1, and o'nitting brush-shaft; and Fig. 3, a sectional view taken on the line y y, Fig. 2.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to 40 make and use my invention, I will now describe. the invention as represented in the drawings, wherein-- The letter E indicates a sweeper-oasing, M' the drive-wheels, J J' the drive-wheel axles,

and G the lomsh-carrying shaft, all of which may be of any desired Construction suitable for the conditions required.

A brush-shaft support is provided that not only yields downward under pressure eXerted by a proplling-handle to move the brushshaft toward the surface traversed independent of vertical movement of the Sweeper-casing, but also automatically rises and restores the brush-shaft to and sustains it in its normal or uppernost position when pressure on the 5 5 handle is relieved. As here shown this yielding support is composed of a spring-plate C, placed at each end of the casing and secured at one end thereto, as by screws 5, while the outer portions of the plates extend through 63 Slots 6 in the end walls of the sweeper-case and are connected with a propelling-handle B, as by a bail A, having its extrenities turned inward and pivoted or journaled in the springplates and extend into the Slots 'Lin the end 65 walls of the sWeeper-case. The sprng-plates are provided With bearings H for the journals of the brush-shaft, such bearings in the example shown having guides H' for directing the ends of the journals into the bearings. The yielding support sustains the brush-shaft in its normal or uppermost position for light sweeping, and when heavier sweeping is desired it is effected by pressure exerted on the handle,which canses the brush- 7 5 shaft support to yield downward independent of downward novenent of the sweeper-casing, while said support automatically rises and restores the brush-shaft to its normal position independent of upward movement of 8o the casingwhen the pressure on the handle is relieved. By this means I produce in a novel manner what is technically termed broom action in a earpet-sweeper.

The drive-Wheels are pressed into frictonal 8 5 contact with the hrush-shaft by a spring D.

The dust-pan K is pivoted by journals L to ears F on the casing, and said pan extends up and around the axle J', so as to entirely protect the latter froni dust and obstructions. 0 The dust-pan when swung down on its pivot to the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, carries with it the axle J' and the drive-wheels on the latter, and then the spring D tends to hold the pan open for dumping the contents thereof. The spring D is so forned and adjusted that when the pan is moved toward the casing, said spring tends to close the pan contact between the drive-wheels and the' brush-shaft, but also holds the pan open' and closed.

To permit the lateral movement of the drivewheel aXle J and drive-wheelM',the sweepercase and dust-pan may be slotted, as indicated by the numeral 1, Fig. 1.

In the sweeper here shown, to direct the swecpings into the pan I provide a partition and guide N N', so that whichever way the sweeper moves the sweepings will be carried by thebrush to the pan.

In the drawings I have shown a sweeper having a single dust-pan; but it will be obvious tha-t a yielding brush-shaft support having the characteristic features of operation set forth can be used with sweepers having pans and drive-wheels constructed and arranged in the ordinary manner.

Acarpet-sweeper has heretofore been made wherein pressure on the handle moves the' sWeeper-casing and the brush downward toward the carpet; but my invention differs therefrom in that the brush-shaft is moved downward by pressure on the handle independent of Vertical movement of the sweepercasing. A carpet-sweeper has also been proposed wherein the brush-shaft is connected with the bail of the handle, so that the brush could be depressed by the direct action of the handle; but my invention differs therefrom in that I provide a suitable brush-slaft support, which not only yields to pressure exeted on the handle to move the brush toward the surface traversed, but rises automatically and restores the brush to and sustains it at its normal position when pressure on the handle is relieved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is &12,219

1. The combination, with a sweeper-casing, a brush-shaft, and a propelling-handle, of a yielding brush-shaft support lowered by the action of the handle when pressed upon and moving the brush-shaft toward the surface traversed independent of vertical movement of the sweeper casing, said support automatically rising and restoring the brushshaft to and sustaining it in its normal position when pressure on the handle is relieved.

2.. The combination, with a sweeper-casing, a brush-shaft, and a propelling-handle, of a yielding brush-shaft support connected with the handle, yieldingly moved downward by pressure exerted on the latter and automatically raised to restore' the brush-shaft to and ure on the handle is relieved.

3. The combination, witha sweeper-casing, V

of spring-supports carried by the casing and having bearings for a brush-shaft, and a sweeper-bail journaledto the spring-supports, said spring-supports adapted to sustain the brush-shaft in its normal position and to restore it to such position when relieved of downward pressure on the handle.

4. In a carpet-sweeper, a dust-pan carrying a drive-wheel and hinged to the casing, in combination with the spring which holds the drive-wheel in contact with the brush-shaft, said pan. and wheel adapted to turn downward for the purpose of emptying the pan and the spring adapted to hold the pan in an open and closed position, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the dust-pan K and the axle J said dust-pan inclosing said axle and adapted to protect it from dust, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. GATES. i

WVitnesses:

FRED W. STEVENs, ARTHUR C. DENISON. 

